Does South County need an animal shelter?

Though a closer shelter would be more convenient, Drabek said, residents likely only need to make the trip to Orange every few years or less to adopt an animal. And if pets are properly licensed, Drabek said officers in the field will try to contact the owner and get it home before taking it to the county shelter.

The centralized shelter still means higher transportation costs, Gardner argued. His group’s research also shows that such facilities typically generate fewer volunteers and reduced fundraising, with residents less invested in a shelter that’s so far from their back yards.

Supervisor Pat Bates, who represents the South County cities, said she’s confident the facility in Tustin would offer new programs that will keep driving down the county’s euthanasia rates. With that shelter still in the works, she said satellite facilities would likely stretch OC Animal Care’s dollars too thinly.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Advocates say prospects for a South County shelter are dim.

“If there was somebody who was willing to make a large endowment – maybe leave us their entire estate – maybe then we’d have the seed funding to be able to make it happen,” Josephson said. Given the recent improvements to OC Animal Care, White said Laguna Hills staff believes the planned Tustin shelter would provide a good solution.

In the meantime, Drabek said the county will keep focusing on programs such as the spay/neuter effort that reduces the shelter population.

One thing that could alter the playing field is planned population growth.

Multiple housing projects are in the works in Lake Forest. And with about 35,000 residents expected in Rancho Mission Viejo once it’s built out, advocates of a South County shelter say the need is only going to get stronger.

Related Links

John Nolan of Aliso Viejo plays with a resident of OC Animal Care's shelter in Orange. ANA VENEGAS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
John Nolan of Aliso Viejo coaxes Rocky to take a walk as she rolls on the cement. Rocky lives at OC Animal Care's county shelter in Orange. ANA VENEGAS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Virginia gets a mouthful of water during playtime with volunteer Steve Ford at OC Animal Care in Orange. ANA VENEGAS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Steve Ford of Lake Forest makes the drive to Orange to volunteer at OC Animal Care's county shelter. ANA VENEGAS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
John Nolan of Aliso Viejo volunteers at OC Animal Care's county shelter in Orange. ANA VENEGAS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
John Nolan of Aliso Viejo cradles Rocky, who lives at OC Animal Care's shelter in Orange. Some South County residents have been fighting for years for a local shelter. Volunteers have been making the drive to Orange to care for dogs and cats. ANA VENEGAS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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